After being caught by Delhi Police, now each and every layer of the reality of Swami Chaitanand Saraswati is being revealed. This self-proclaimed Baba, who was facing serious allegations of sexual exploitation of girl students, used such tricks to avoid arrest that even the listeners were stunned. Sometimes he pretended to be a representative of an international organisation, and sometimes he claimed to be associated with the PMO on the basis of fake cards. What’s more, he even changed his parents and got two passports made. It has become clear in the investigation that this Baba is also an amazing ‘player’ of changing identity.
Story of two months of absconding and arrest
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After going abroad in July, when the girl students of Shri Sharda Institute of Indian Management, Delhi lodged a complaint against him on August 6, Chaitanya Nand Saraswati understood that his arrest was certain. The complaint alleged sexual exploitation of 17 girl students, especially girls from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota. As soon as the FIR was registered, he fled Delhi and kept dodging the police for almost two months. Delhi Police issued a look out circular, formed several teams, but Baba kept changing his locations. Sometimes Vrindavan, sometimes Mathura and sometimes Agra. He would check-in at cheap hotels and try to hide his identity by traveling by taxi.
Two passports, two birthplaces and changed parents
The most sensational part of the investigation came to light when the police found two passports from him. On one passport his name was Swami Partha Sarathi, while on the other his name was Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati. Not only the name, but also the birthplace and names of parents were recorded separately in both the passports. In one passport the birthplace was written as Darjeeling and in the other as Tamil Nadu. The names of his parents were found to be different on his PAN card also. That is, Baba has complicated his identity so much that it becomes difficult to differentiate between real and fake.
Midnight operation, Baba caught from hotel
Eventually the police got intelligence input that he was staying in a hotel in Tajganj area of Agra under the name ‘Parth Sarathi’. At around 4 pm on 27th September, he took room number 101 and stayed there the whole night. At 3:30 am on Sunday, the police team suddenly raided and arrested him. Hotel staff say that he was behaving like a very ordinary customer, but they also became suspicious because he did not come out of the room. At the time of his arrest, the police recovered mobile, iPad and many suspicious documents from him.
acts of pressurizing girl students
It is recorded in the FIR that Chaitananda, being the former chairman of the institute, used to call girl students to his room at night. It had become his habit to send objectionable messages late at night. His three female colleagues used to silence the girl students by threatening them and made them delete the messages. Investigation also revealed that Baba used to watch the live feed of CCTV cameras of the institute and hostel through his mobile. With this he kept an eye on every activity of the girl students.
false mask of international identity
After his arrest, the police seized several fake visiting cards from him. In these, he was shown as the Permanent Ambassador of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and the Indian Special Envoy to BRICS. Not only this, he also falsely propagated among his acquaintances and followers that he had direct links with the Prime Minister’s Office. With the help of this false influence, he maintained his status in the institute and kept trying to avoid arrest.
Bank accounts and assets worth crores
When the police investigated his financial activities, new revelations came to light. He had opened several bank accounts with the help of different names and documents. Even after the FIR was registered, he remained active and withdrew around Rs 50 lakh. The police have already frozen his amount of around Rs 8 crore, which was in different banks and fixed deposits. Investigators believe that this amount was also used to put pressure on the girl students and people associated with the institute.
Police custody and further action
After his arrest, the court has sent him on police remand for five days. Now the police will interrogate his three female assistants face to face. There is also a possibility that he may be taken to the institute and made to stand in front of the victims. The police hope that during the interrogation, not only will the facts related to sexual harassment be further strengthened, but there will also be major revelations about his network and methods of changing identity.
justice is only half done
After the news of the arrest came out, the girl students and their families heaved a sigh of relief. A friend of one of the victims said, the journey is only half completed. We know that justice will not be achieved by arrest alone. There is a need that the case should reach the end and he should be given the harshest punishment. He said, if such criminals are given life imprisonment then only more people will learn a lesson and will not dare to victimize girl students.